Improvement in sofa-bedsteads



WILLIAM WALCUTT. Improvement in Sfa Bedsteads. N0l 124,990, l Patented March 26,1872.

` u E t i i s PATENT Gif-TICE.

WILLIAM wALoUTT, or New YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SOFABEDSTEADS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 124,990, dated March 26,1872 antedated March 19, 1872.

upward to form the sofa-back, 'said legs emerge from their places ofconcealment and turn downward so as to become the hind legs of the sofa. The invention also consists in the combination, with the swinging part of a sofabedstead, of legs suspended to the latter near the outer edge thereof, at its ends, in such manner that, as the said part turns upward, the said legs swing inward and disappear in recesses formed for the plupose in its ends; and, as said part turns downward, the suspended legs swing outward so as' to become the supports of the bedstead. The invention a-lso consists in certain other improvements, which, together with those hereinbefore referred to, are hereinafter fully described.

Referring to the drawing, in which Figure l is an end elevation of the sofa, enough being broken away to show the leg suspended inits chamber-Fig 2 is an end elevation of the bedstead, enough being broken away to show the rigid leg within the head-board and the means by which the swinging leg is rigidly attached to the swinging part. Fig. 3 is a trans verse sectional elevation ofthe bedstead 5 and Fig. 4 is a similar elevation of the sofa.

The stationarjnpart of the article of furniture therein represented is constructed with end pieces a that form either the arms ofthe sofa or portions ofthe head-board and footboard of the bed. The end pieces terminate in circular or otherwise shaped heads b, which come at the middle ofthe head-board and foot-board. The circular heads are recessed centrally, vertically, and lengthwise, and in their recesses are 'placed tongues a', which extend from the adjacent extremities `.of the end pieces c c of swinging part, and are pivoted to the heads b by pins b passing through the centers of the latter, which construction forms what is termed a dolphin hinge, the same occupying the whole central portion of the head-board and foot-board, and forming the meanswhereby said headboard and foot-board are changed into the ends of a sofa, and whereby the ends ofthe sofa are changed into a headboard and footboard. The end pieces c c are hollowedlongs, the head-board andfoot-board ofthe bedy stead are perfectly symmetrical, and so are the ends of the sofa. ln other words, the article of furniture assumes the exact shape of a sofa or of a bedstead, according to the part it has to play. The legs above referred to as being rigidly attached to the end pieces of the swing ing part are shown at d. These legs project from the tongues of the end pieces c c that occupy the recesses of the head b, and their outer sides are in line with the outer sides of the pieces c c. The recesses for the concealment of the legs d wh en turned up are formed in the lower edges of the end pieces a. The suspended legs above referred to are shown at e. The means for their suspension are a slot., f, in the leg and a screw, f', that passes through the slot and connects the leg with the end piece c or c. The leg e swings freely on the screwf, maintaining always an erect position. At the upper end of the leg are two shoulders, e1 e3, which form opposite corners, and from theleg between said corners a part, e2, projects. The chamber g in the end piece c or c' is constructed with a recess, g2, and with a shoulder, g3, at one side thereof, these being so placed that when, in the formation of the bedstead, the foot of the leg e strikes the floor the outer extremity of the end piece continues its descent until the projection e2 enters the recess g2 and the shoulder g3 strikes the shoulder e3. The leg e thus automatically becomes rigidly connected with the end piece and forms a support for the bedstead. When the sofa is forming the projec- Ytion e2 drops out ot the recess g2. As soon as the swinging part is raised high enough, and as the latter approaches the perpendicular, the shoulder el of the leg e enters a recess, gl, formed in the side of the chamber g for its reception, within which chamber the leg finally disappears. To the end-piece c that forms part of the head-board of the bedstead an ornamental piece, h, is attached in such position that, while the swinging part is turned up, said ornamental piece is concealed from view within the recess in the circular head b; and, when the swinging part is turned down, the ornamental piece h rises above the head b, extending as much to one side of the center thereof' as to the other side so as to preserve the symmetry ofthe head-board, and serving as amark whereby to distinguish the latter from the footboard. The tongue of the end piece fllls the gap left. in the recess by the departure of the ornamental piece therefrom when the bedstead is formed. The stationary part is provided with a mattress, i, to the inner side and upper edge of which is attached a cushion, j, of half the thickness, more or less, ofthe mattress, which cushion, when the sofa is formed, lies on the mattress, forming the top of the sofa-seat. The vsofa -back is provided with a separate cushion, 7c, also of half the thickness, more or less, according to that of the cushion j, of the mattress i. When the bedstead is formed the cushion iis turned over upon the cushion k, and thesetwo cushions, in conjunction with the mattress i, form a continuous double bed. The cushion k and the outer side of the cushion j are covered with silk, rep, or other material suitable for a sofa.. The mattress i and the inner side of the cushion j are covered wit-h ticking, which is entirely concealed when the sofa is formed. The silk or rep is also entirely concealed when the bed is formed, and is, more over, preserved from the defacement to which it would be subject if used as a bed. To the under side of the stationary part, and at the inner edge thereof, is secured a box, l, of suticient depth to reach the tioor, and otherwise large enough to contain bed-clothes. This box supports the. back of the stationary part while the swinging partis turning down, and prevents the bedstead from sinking in the middle to the ioor, as it would be liable to do if not in some way sustained. The box l also assists in supporting the back ofthe sot'a.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that in the one. movement ot' producing the bedstead from the sofa the head-board and foot-board are completed, the rigid legs that support the back ofthe sofa disappear, the suspended legs that support the back ofthe sofa emerge from their recesses and become rigid,

the ornament comes up from its hiding-place l and surmounts the head-board, and the tongue ofthe end piece c tills the gap left in the recess in the head-board by the issue therefrom of said ornament.

The description herein made of a sofa-bedstead is equally applicable to a lounge-bed stead.

I claim as my invention- 1. A sofa-bedstead, the 'swinging part of which is provided with rigidly-attached legs d, which turn down for the support ot' the back of a sofa, and which turn up and are concealed from view when the bedstead is formed, sub1 stantially as specified. I

2. The end piece c or c', having the chamber g constructed with a recess, g2, and shoulders g1 g3, in combination with the suspended leg e, having the slot f, shoulders e1 e3, and projecting part c2, arranged as specified.

3. The ornamental piece h, combined with the end piece c, as set forth.

4. The combination ofthe swinging and stationary parts of a sofa-bedstead, the mattress fi, and the cushions j lo," operating as explained.

5. In the head-board and foot-board ofa sofabedstead, the end pieces a, provided with the circular heads b having longitudinal, central, vertical recesses, and combined with the end piece c having at its inner end a tongue, fr, entering the aforesaid recess, which end piece c is holloWed at its inner end at cach side ofthe tongue .c so as to accurately tit the head b, and and is iiush therewith at its sides,all substantially as described. a

Witnesses: WILLIAM WALCUTT.

Guo. E. BROWN, G. O. BROWN. 

